Local Christians, Jews and Muslims don’t often agree on issues, but they express their mutual respect and support for the Holy Father following his resignation announcement.

Pope Benedict XVI lights a candle in the Golgotha in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem's Old City.

– 2009 Yannis Behrakis/Pool/Getty Images

BETHLEHEM — The Holy Land’s Christians, Jews and Muslims don’t often agree on issues, but they are seemingly united in their respect for Pope Benedict XVI.

News of the Pope’s imminent retirement set off a wave of concern about his health, but also accolades for his efforts to promote Middle East peace and to strengthen the small Christian community here.

Many recalled Benedict’s 2009 pilgrimage to Israel and the Palestinian territories and his ongoing involvement in interreligious dialogue.

“Everyone remembers the journey of the Holy Father to the Holy Land in 2009 and to Cyprus in 2010. These were events of strong symbolism for Christians, but also for Jews and Muslims,” Archbishop Fouad Twal, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, said in a statement.

Patriarch Twal recalled how Pope Benedict organized and presided over the Middle East Synod held in Rome in 2010, which, for the first time, brought together virtually every bishop in the Middle East, from both the Western and Eastern Churches.

The synod, and the meetings leading up to it, provided a unique opportunity for Middle East Christians to share their hopes, concerns and struggles with the Vatican.

The Patriarch thanked the Pope for “his paternal affection and commitment to peace in the Holy Land” and conveyed the hope that the Virgin Mary will “accompan[y] the Holy Father in his decision to step down and in the rest that awaits him.”

Ashekenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger said through a spokesman that, during Pope Benedict’s reign, “there were the best relations ever between the Church and the Chief Rabbinate” and expressed hope that the “trend will continue.”

“I greatly appreciate him for his immense activity to interfaith connection that has contributed greatly to the reduction of anti-Semitism in the world,” Rabbi Metzger said.

The chief rabbi added that the Pope “deserves a lot of credit for advancing interreligious links the world over between Judaism, Christianity and Islam.”

Israeli President Shimon Peres, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, agreed that, under Pope Benedict’s leadership, the Vatican “has been a clear voice against racism and anti-Semitism” and a “clear voice for peace.”

Peres said the “positive dialogue” between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people “is a testament to his belief in dialogue and cooperation.”

Gratitude in Bethlehem

In Bethlehem, where municipal workers were finally taking down Christmas decorations, Palestinians thanked the Pope for visiting the city of Christ’s birth in 2009 and for voting for a limited Palestinian state at the United Nations last November.

“He came here and gave a boost to Palestinian Christians,” said Khaled Bandak, a Bethlehem-based Christian guide, gazing at groups of pilgrims congregating in Manger Square.

“We need the economy to grow, and that’s largely dependent on pilgrimages. A good economy will enable us to stay here,” Bandak said, referring to the Christian community, which has dwindled to just 2% of the populations of Israel and the West Bank from 25% in 1948.

Bandak said he has “mixed feelings” about Pope Benedict’s resignation.

“We don’t know who will lead us, and, as we know, being pope isn’t an easy job. Hopefully, the cardinals will elect someone who is capable and young.”

“Leaders in the Arab world could learn something from the Pope’s actions,” said Qumsiyah, who is Christian.

Asked to speculate on whom the next pope might be, Qumsiyah thought it would be “exciting” if the next pope was an American.

“There has never been a pope from the U.S., which has a large number of Catholics. It would be an interesting choice.”

Whoever is chosen, he said, “my hope is that he will love the Palestinians. We Christians want to be able to stay here. Our roots are here, but we need help.”

Exiting the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Yasser Abdullah, a Christian from the northern West Bank, expressed the belief that Pope Benedict was sometimes overly diplomatic in his dealings with Israel.

“I hope the next pope will publicly condemn the Israeli occupation more and promote the rights of the Palestinians, Christians and Muslims both,” he said.

Muslim Praise

Azhr Haifa, a Palestinian born and raised in Texas, praised the Holy Father for supporting the Palestinian people and for steering the Church in a moral way that Muslims can appreciate.

“For me, a Muslim, I am glad there are still religious leaders like Pope Benedict with conservative views, who promote family values, who care for the poor and work toward peace. We are all under one God.”

Haifa, who had traveled from the Ramallah area in the central West Bank to Bethlehem with his family, said the Pope “put the Palestinians on the map” through his advocacy. “I hope the next pope will do the same, and even more.”

Rabbi David Rosen, director of the American Jewish Committee’s Department of Interreligious Affairs, told Vatican Radio that Pope Benedict, through his renunciation of anti-Semitism and his interfaith efforts, had been “doing the same things as John Paul II, and even, maybe, in some ways, going beyond them — certainly, in terms of the quantity and maybe even the quality of his own engagement — he was enshrining these actions, almost, in the fabric of the Church."

Said Rosen, “I think we will look back on Pope Benedict XVI’s pontificate as very significant in consolidating the amazing achievements in Catholic-Jewish relations.”

Comments

Considering the amount of evil spreading rapidly in today’s world (USA and other western “civilized” countries pushing abortion and same-sex marriage as international human rights while pushing religion in general and Christianity in particular out of the public square), I see Pope Benedict’s stepping down for a life of prayer as a positive. Prayer is the only thing that will succeed in defeating the evil of our times, and a new energetic pope engaged in the battle with Pope Benedict as a prayer warrior backing him up may be the one-two punch needed in this battle.

Posted by Edwinoel TANGLAO on Sunday, Feb 17, 2013 7:17 AM (EDT):

“Long live the Pope,” and “God bless the Pope” in Pope Benedict XVI. No doubt he has been under pressure from all sides but he never wavered in his faith, always uplifting Jesus in the power of God’s words of love, mercy and forgiveness. His failing health may have encouraged him to step down, but his spirit is to follow God’s will in him. Perhaps, as many may want to believe and may always pray for, a younger vibrant pope may come to serve the people of God. That in all things, God is very much in control.

Posted by Dw on Saturday, Feb 16, 2013 6:44 PM (EDT):

I enjoyed the reminder one writer who reminded me that Benedict previously asked JPII to step down 2x during his later years. So he is abiding by his own beliefs.

Posted by micheal laurant on Saturday, Feb 16, 2013 2:14 PM (EDT):

We as the church laity must exercise humility as the Holy Father. We must surrender our pride and ask the Holy Spirit
to renew the face of the earth. We have been given the gift of a brilliant mind in the person of Benedict XVl. Read his
writings and learn how such a great man could come to such a decision for the sake of the Church. Let us pray for
him for the treasure of his prayers that Benedict will offer for the welfare of the Church. He will continue to dedicate
himself to his service to the Church through prayer. Benedict’s wisdom is a gift he has shared with us. His deep faith
will enhance the strengh of his prayers for the Church. May God bless him and keep him the example of humilty we
all treasure.

Posted by Victor Gaetan on Saturday, Feb 16, 2013 1:25 PM (EDT):

This is an excellent article. Thank you.

Posted by prasad on Saturday, Feb 16, 2013 12:00 PM (EDT):

The ambassadors of PEACE will always be appreciated and shall receive precious accolades despite pillorying here and there at times.

The Church at this point of time, needs only another BENEDICT XVI as its Pope - with all of his mind, his intellect, his deep anchoring in Christ,his way of engaging with the secular world, his way of disciplining those within the Church who set bad example, his way of hermeneutics to the Word of God, his way of Christifying the world, his way of strong allegiance to the Traditional liturgy [Tridentine rite,....]
all that in addition to younger [in age] and with greater physical strength.

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